Russian Navy Expands Rescue Fleet

The Russian Navy will receive 10 advanced search and rescue vessels by the end of the year to boost its sea rescue capabilities, a Navy official said Wednesday.

According to the Navy, its Baltic fleet will receive four of the new vessels while three will be commissioned in the Black Sea. The new ships are said to enhance the Russian Navy’s capability to rescue submarines and ships in distress.

The Russian Navy has expanded its deepsea rescue fleet since the Kursk nuclear submarine tragedy in 2000 when Russia had to rely on Norwegian divers to reach the vessel buried on the seafloor more than 100 meters below the ocean’s surface.